In about twelve hours from now, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will embark on nationwide raids and the deportation of illegal immigrants whose asylum applications have been denied. Barring any last-minute respite from President Donald Trump, the fate of the affected immigrants now rests in the hands of God. Sad as the news is, it is not the reason I am writing this essay.
As ICE agents are fine-tuning their impending onslaught on undocumented immigrants, about nine cities in the United States of America have vehemently and unequivocally declared that they will not provide any form of logistics or security support to ICE agents coming into their cities to effect arrest and deportation. What? You may ask!
The truth is, ICE, in every shape or form, is an agency of the United States Government. And these cities, like ICE, are part of American sovereignty under the leadership of President Donald Trump. Yet, they dared to declare in no uncertain terms that they will not authorise their Police Force to provide support to ICE during the raid or assist them with detention facilities. That is a vivid manifestation of the fundamentals of True Federalism. And that is what is missing in Nigeria. No Local Government Council or State can stand up to the "monstrosity" at Abuja.
In the past few days, the Edo State House of Assembly in Nigeria has been in the news for the wrong reasons. A couple of weeks ago, the highly respected gentleman, Governor of Edo State, played a fast one on his former boss, Comrade Adam Oshiomhole. He plotted a successful Executive Coup - the inauguration of the Edo State House of Assembly. Only nine members, allegedly sympathetic to Governor Obaseki, participated in the Swearing-in Ceremony. In the end, a new Speaker was elected. Those who were not present at the ceremony miraculously surfaced in Abuja. For What? Security reasons, we were told.
Due process demands that every member is given notice of the date and time of the inauguration, subsequent to the issuance of a proclamation letter from the Governor to the Clerk of the House. If they were given notice but failed to honour the invitation, the case is over. If, on the other hand, only the nine members who were present at the swearing-in ceremony were the ones contacted, then what took place as an inauguration is nothing but a farce.
As the saga continues, some prominent and not-so-prominent political leaders called upon the House of Representatives at Abuja to step into the vacuum and take over the affairs of the Edo State House of Assembly. That demand is in itself an affront and a blatant slight on the conscience of the good people of Edo State. In other words, we are being told that the most educationally advanced state in Nigeria lacks the wisdom, integrity, sagacity, and organisational wherewithal to peacefully assemble and make laws for the good people of the state. And Governor Obaseki says: Bring it on. I am ready. And I am waiting.
I do not want to go into the political angle (godfatherism) of the saga. And I do not want the House to continue in its juvenile culture of the past; shamelessly subservient and unapologetically susceptible to executive manipulation.
Suffices it to say at this juncture that Governor Obaseki is an astute and diligent student of the culture of political gangsterism incubated and nurtured into prominence in Edo State by his former boss, Comrade Adam Oshiomhole. So far, so good, Governor Obaseki has shown a side of himself that is completely new to the majority of Edo State indigenes at home and abroad. It is the reaffirmation that, indeed, Nigeria is a federal system where the component states and the central government have their constitutionally defined powers and responsibilities.
Even though Abuja has turned Nigeria into a Unitary System of Government, dispensing handouts (crude oil money) as it pleases, Governor Obaseki has made it abundantly clear that Edo State will not be a dumping ground for the experimentation of a centralised unitary model that our Founding Fathers did not contemplate. Kudos to Governor Obaseki for engineering a new surge in the evolution of True Federalism in Nigeria.
Moving Forward.
My Candid Advice to the Runaway Legislators.
Those who absconded to Abuja should have stayed behind in Benin City to fight it out with the Governor, the Clerk of the House, and the minority who hijacked the process. Running to Comrade Adam Oshiomhole and the House of Representatives at Abuja didn't manifest courage under fire. Come back home if you have not done so. Meet. Strategise. Go to the Assembly Complex peacefully. And make a motion for the impeachment of the new Speaker. It is that simple because you have the votes. Show strength, guys. Wise up and show strength. We don't want Abuja in our legislative affairs in Edo State.
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